MSD to eliminate middlemen, coats drugs with special colours

MARC NKWAME in Arusha

THE Government is working on the final arrangement to allow the Medical Store Department (MSD) to procure drug consignments directly from manufacturers to eliminate middlemen agents.

Under the arrangement, MSD will make sure that all medicinal pills including tablets and capsules as well as syrup ordered by the government are coated or mixed with special colours to distinguish them from the ones bought for the private sector.

Deputy Minister for Health, Community Development, Gender, the Elderly and Children, Dr Khamisi Kigwangalla revealed here that, the aim was to curb mishandling of medical supplies (drugs and equipment) imported by the state for its citizens.

Dr Kigwangalla spoke at the inauguration of the MSD Community Outlet at the Regional Hospital of Mount Meru in Arusha, the fourth such facility in the series of drug shops being established by the MSD throughout the country.

According to Dr Kigwangala, colour coding of tablets, capsules and syrups is the second step to combat cheats in procurement of consignments after the initial process of embossing pills with GOT (Government of Tanzania) initials.

“So far a total of 65 different types of pills and capsules have already been labelled with GOT letters in the ongoing exercise but as soon as the MSD gets the approval to buy medical supplies from manufacturers, then all medicines together with their respective packages will be colour-coded,” Kigwangala explained.

The MSD Board Chairman, Prof Idris Mtulia, revealed that 80 per cent of all medicine being used in the country are imported from overseas and to ship a consignment of drug pills, syrups and related medications might take up to six months.

“That is why the current procurement laws need to be revised because unlike other goods, medical supplies are sensitive and if importation has to undergo a snail-pace bureaucracy, the country might end up being in serious shortage of drugs for half-a-year,” he warned.

On his part, the Director General for Medical Store Department, Mr Laurean Bwanakunu, said the opening of MSD Community outlets countrywide was in response to the directives issued by President John Magufuli to ensure timely accessibility of medicine to the people at affordable costs. Interviewed Arusha residents who attended the opening ceremony expressed delight for the initiative.

They could not believe seeing that prices offered at the MSD drugs outlet were amazing such that private hospitals and pharmacies demanded up to 200,000/- for a certain type of medication today known to cost less than 10,000/- at the MSD shop.